Italian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century. Despite a lack of consensus on the exact dates for the beginning and end of this period, many scholars agree that the process began in 1815 with the Congress of Vienna and the end of Napoleonic rule, and ended sometime around 1871 with the Franco-Prussian War.

The inner part of the coin shows three Italian flags in the wind, representing the three anniversaries (1911, 1961 and 2011) and illustrating a link between generations; this is the logo of the 150th anniversary of Italian unification. The twelve stars of the European Union surround the design on the outer ring of the coin.